Quote of the Day

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

A double bill of trailers today with David Fincher's take on the massively popular The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; the first of the best selling trilogy by Stieg Larson. It should be pointed out that, yes, there has been a version before, done by a Swedish film company and crew. In Fincher's take, Daniel Craig stars alongside Rooney Mara (The Social Network) in this dark, mystery-crime tale.

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a young computer hacker. - IMDb

The first of the two trailers is the clippidy-clappidy, intensey-musicy one:

And then the slowy-burning, dark-plot-heavy one:

Wow, "The feel bad film of Christmas"? That has definitely peaked my interest. And from the second trailer, things look to be menacingly gloomy and mature - after all, the original book was killed "Men Who Hate Women" in Sweden. But this is what Fincher does best, so I'm sure this'll be a knockout hit, maybe even an awards contender... Also, Trent Reznor is once again teaming up with Fincher for the score (after winning multiple awards for The Social Network's score) and looks to be on top form with this remix of Led Zepplin's "Immigrant Song" - very gritty. Prepare to "Feel Bad", 21st December 2011.

Saturday, 24 September 2011

The writer and executive producer of the hit new web series, Husbands(along with numerous other TV credits spanning from Torchwood: Miracle Day to Firefly),Jane Espenson, recently held a Twitter Q&A to discuss Husbands and anything else from her successful career. I took the opportunity to get a few questions in, and to my delight they were swiftly replied. Here's what went down, with a few interjections from Husbands star, Cheeks:

Me: Who came up with the theme music for Husbands?JE: A composer named Stephen Main composed the music. Great, isn't it? Swingy!

Me: Any future plans to work within the Whedonverse, or with the man himself in the near future?

Espenson

JE: Yes. I'll be doing something for the season 9 Buffy comic books!
(Jane was a producer and writer for dozens of Buffy episodes)

Me: Can we expect any more special guest like [Nathan Fillion] in the upcoming [Husbands] eps?JE: I want you to keep watching, so I don't think I'll say. But if we do more seasons, then expect big names!
(So was that a no?)

Me: Could there be the slightest possibility of a Husbands and The Guild crossover? Web-series gotta stick together you know!JE: We would totally be open to a crossover with The Guild! Love them! Love [Felicia Day]! Cheeks:Ha! Those worlds colliding would be hilarious! :D

Me: I can totally imagine John Barrowman appearing in a future season of Husbands! Causing trouble perhaps? Make it happen!JE: We'd love to have John on Husbands! That would be amazing!Cheeks: Omg, he endlessly flirts with both of them and causes drama! (Comedic drama, obvi)
(This got a lot of RT's and replies in agreement, so if it happens, I'm claiming it!)

Me: Which Firefly character did you enjoy writing for the most?JE: Kaylee, I think. Kaylee or Mal. Or Janye. I can't decide!

Me:If I were to feature Husbands on my blog (and I will), any chance of an RT for it? Sorry, I'm a pretty shameless plugger.;)

Me: Been great chatting to you guys in this Q&A session, can we expect more?JE: Sure! I'm not always avail on weekdays, b.c of Once Upon A Time, but I'd love to do more!Me: Awesome, thanks! This evening (UK Time) has been delightfully informative and fun. Can't wait for more Husbands!

I was pretty happy with how that turned out, and if the suggestions I threw into the mix turn into reality, I'd like to think I had a part in that. Also, my RE:Commend of Husbandsgot a lot of views from the plugs, and wound up on the official Husbands Press page! Looks like I'm going up in the world!

Thursday, 22 September 2011

Husbands is the brand new and hilarious web-series from acclaimed TV Writer, Jane Espenson (Torchwood, Firefly), focusing on the age old "Did we just accidentally get married in Vegas?"-RomCom setup with a notable difference; it's a same sex marriage. Camp TV star, Cheeks, and Basesball hero, Brady, find themselves hitched after a wild night in the city of sin, and now must deal with the oncoming media onslaught and whether or not to actually make the relationship work.

It's great to see a series all about equality really take off, and although I'm sure the gay angle may turn a lot of people away, I urge you to open your minds and stay the course, because what you'll find is a refreshingly fun and hilarity strewn series. Espenson has taken a tired formula and revitalised it with a new-world energy, teeming with spirit and charm, plus a healthy dose of camp to keep the laughs fresh.

The way I see it, this is future at work: a bold new series focusing on a community previously unspoken for exclusively in this kind of media. Embracing the risk of an untapped source material in gay newly-weds,and sticking it on the web, network-free, proves how television is evolving to meet the open-eyed way of thinking the world has come to.

And what with guest stars already turning up (Nathan Fillion, anyone?), it looks like these 2 minute episodes might just be shaping up to be some of the internet's finest serial content. So roll on Husbands, because it looks like you're in it for the long haul.

Back In The Saddle
Earlier today I posted my review of 30 Minutes or Less, and contrary to popular belief, I was kind of dreading it before hand. I hadn't written a review in almost 2 months, and so such anxiousness was expected. Could I write it well enough, could I be bothered, was it worth it etcetera, etcetera. In the end I did it. Just sat down, pulled my finger(s) out and got on with it. And I enjoyed it. I had a blast typing through it and weaving my words together into a sensible pattern of reading. I'm pretty happy with the finished result and hopefully you are too.

Seriously, That's All You Have To Say?
Pretty much. Come on, surely the video's worth a bunch? Just loop it or something, to kill some time. Oh and help me out by voting on the poll. Thanks. Catch ya later.ATR

Coming from the mind behind Zombieland, we all knew 30 Minutes or Less wasn't going to be a failure. We were, perhaps, a little cautious of it though, with the trailers not dealing out a load of laughs and the plot being somewhat daft and pointless. However, these worries are thrown out straight out of the window once the film itself gets going, and while not reaching quite the high that Zombieland achieved, it's still a solid comedy worthy of your money.

The story is - on the surface - simple; Pizza Delivery Boy, Nick (The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg) gets kidnapped by two dim-witted, melon shooting drop-outs (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) who, in a "brilliant" get-rich-quick plan, strap a bomb to Nick and tell him to rob a bank. He can't remove the bomb, he can't go near a police station and he's got 10 hours. Nick's got no choice but to get the money with the aid of his buddy Chet (Aziz Ansari) and escape the cops.

Intimidating, eh?

But things get complicated with the various twists and turns, involving a Hispanic hitman, flamethrowers and a few madcap car chases and shoot-outs. The robbery itself is actually a fairly short scene, but provides some of the biggest laughs of the movie, with Eisenberg and Ansari playing the apologetic "armed" thieves down to a tee. Their chemistry works well together, and some tightly scripted dialogue ("what's your hispanic criminal name?") between the two are sweetly executed.

On the flip-side, there's Swardson and McBride lending their stoner-type comedy to the moronic Travis and Dwayne. Thankfully, McBride hasn't been as free with the ad-libbing he's become known for (something that in my opinion dragged Your Highnessdown), so the consistency of humour is more fluent around their scenes, but there's still plenty of dick jokes flying around (maybe a few too many). Through their "genius" escapades of tracking the innocent bank-robbing duo, their ideas to open a brothel-cum-tanning salon is revealed, and things just refuse to go according to plan.

See, a flamethrower!

Overall, the real comedy, as I found it, came more from Ansari and Swardson's characters; the sidekicks. Ansari fires out hilarious lines left, right and centre as the confused, reluctant and warming Chet, using his ethnicity as an Indian to great effect. While Swardson is the slow, innocent follower of Dwayne, who gets caught up in this without ever properly understanding it, conveyed through his off-comments and facial expressions at his bat-crap crazy friend.

For its short running time of merely 83 minutes, 30 Minutes or Less hardly lets up on the pace, thundering this sense of urgency all the way through, making the third act a triumphant culmination of craziness and comedy. The abruptness of the ending, though slightly unexpected, comes just at the right time and finishes with the same sort of tone that the past hour and a quarter has laid down.

Director Ruben Fleischer may not have matched his Zombie fuelled debut in terms of style or physical comedy, but makes up for it in way of a more propelled plot and neater dialogue funnies. His well assembled cast pull together with each of their respective characters to make them what they are, Eisenberg in particular excelling at turning an unlikable loser into an unlikely hero audiences can root for (as is his way...). The plot's silly and unbelievable (although shockingly partly true), and doesn't always realistically add up, but makes for good popcorn viewing and some unpredictable laughs. The theme of making something of your life and not sitting round like a loser until you've get ten hours to live, isn't at the forefront of the movie's objectives, but can linger in your mind in retrospect, which is a clever touch to an otherwise refreshingly bouncy film with a pinch of a dark undertone.

Thursday, 15 September 2011

I'll be kicking off the new RE:Commend (or just "Recommend", for you non-gimmicky types out there) feature with a sweet new iOS (meaning iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) game that rockets itself ahead of the rest. Jetpack Joyride is the latest iTitle from Halfbrick, the team behind previous Appstore hits such as "Monster Dash" and "Fruit Ninja". In this 69p gem, you'll be steering the good ol' Halfbrick Mascot, Barry Steakfries, through a precarious laboratory full of coins, lazers and awesome power-ups.

Taking a new spin on the classic "Helicopter Game", this Joyride has you cruising around in crazy jetpacks (machine gun, bubbles, rainbows) to level up through a series of challenges and collect coins to purchase new jetpacks, clothing and power-ups, and ultimately reach the furthest distance. I've wasted a good couple hours (or so the game log says) to this since it was released a couple weeks ago, thanks to its awesomely addictive nature and "just one more" style setup. So if you happen to own a certain iDevice then get downloading, and be prepared for this to become your new go-to game!

Sunday, 11 September 2011

Wassup home dogs!? Would you like me to start over in a less douchey way? Well touch luck, cause I'm sticking with it! Late night Sunday = tired blogger = rough post (?), so try to stick with me for this.

In Remembrance
We all know what the date at the top says and we all know it's been 10 years. That fateful day of heartache and destruction, immortalised by this haunting date. So let's all spare a thought to those who lost loved ones and have since as a result of the tragic events that took place that day. When people say it was one of those "where were you?" moments, they're really not wrong. Even me, as a 5 year old can remember my Dad's urgency to get home after picking me up from school, and then seeing all this stuff on the TV. It was as if an image of two burning towers had been etched into every screen for the next few weeks. And then being there, in New York itself a couple years ago, I could still sense this feeling of tragedy around the Ground Zero site, despite the fact it was mostly blocked off for construction purposes. RIP Victims and Heroes of 9/11.

A Photo of Epic Proportions (and Questions?)
Anyone on Twitter earlier today may have noticed a whole load of Nerdgasm coming from one image tweeted by Nathan Fillion:

For those not in the know, that's (from left to right) Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity), Felicia Day (The Guild), Simon Pegg (Shaun of The Dead, Paul), Edgar Wright (Writer/Director of Shaun, Hot Fuzz) and Anthony Head (Buffy, Merlin, Little Britain). And they're in Joss-Freakin'-Whedon's house! So much awesome in one place!

It's no surprise then that my head (along with many others out there) has been buzzing about what this meet up could mean. My theory? Well, Edgar Wright has recently finished writing the script (along with Attack The Block creator, Joe Cornish) for a movie adaptation of Marvel hero, Ant Man. This links into the rumours that Nathan Fillion could be the one to play him (YES PLEASE), and that Joss is writing and directing The Avengers, another Marvel property. So, could this be a meeting to discuss plans on working Ant-Man into the Marvel Cinematic continuity, with possibly the other actors involved. Pegg as villain, perhaps?

Or maybe something else from the many Whedon properties? Dr Horrible related? Buffy? Dare I say, Firefly!? Or something new entirely? If it was any of these, I don't think I'd really care what because the thought of seeing all these guys working together makes my head explode. Fillion and Pegg, two of my favourite actors teamed up with Wright and Whedon, two of my favourite writers/directors, with some Felicia thrown in: I don't think I could take the amount of happiness that it would fill me with.

But this kind of wild speculation always gets me kind of depressed when it turns out not to be nought but that. So for now let's just assume that it's a bunch of Hollywood (and Geekdom) A-listers hanging out together just for the sake of awesomeness. (Ah but come on, that "Shhh" expression from Edgar's gotta count for something?) Still the sweetest thing I saw today!

School's Back

Of course, this being September, the old school routine had kicked back in and is live and swinging. Final year of secondary school, GCSE's and all that. Big year ahead, or so I've heard (from pretty much EVERYONE). Will it all affect the blog? Hopefully not, if I can effectively maximise my time management (working on it!) then we may see a rise in some enjoyable writing. RE:Views incoming, and maybe a new "RE:Commend" section, devoted to suggesting some great things in life. Be it a TV show, book series, food, activities, websites or whatever, RE:Commend could be like a mini review feature, minus all the hard hitting critique, and a place with me just trying to introduce you to something I believe is awesome. Cool beans, eh?

So until next time, my intrepid viewers. Stay safe, stay smart, stay reading and most importantly, stay awesome. Over and Snout.

Thursday, 8 September 2011

Yes, The Hunger Games teaser has finally arrived. Are you ready for one whole minute of "Strong-minded girl running round a burning forest with a bow and arrow"? Because I surely am! Synopsisation Time:

"Katniss Everdeen takes her sister's place in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to death on live television. The story is in a post-apocalyptic setting in which the country of Panem contains twelve districts, with the Capitol in the center. The Capitol controls the Hunger Games in a reminder of the failed rebellion against the Capitol 74 years ago." - Wikipedia

And some personal points of my own:

Katniss Looks Perfect
Obviously the main part of this trailer is our hero Katniss herself, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence. Now I for one had my doubts to begin with (Lawrence was a natural blonde, *gasp*), but the film makers have totally nailed the look in terms of what I had in my head when reading the books. And the best thing is she looks grimy; broken, tough, edgy. I had these horrible visions of a "Glamorous" take on The Hunger Games, another dull attempt to take a great series and turn it into another Twilight, but fortunately this trailer looks to be taking it the other, proper, way. Of course, they've left her eyes blue (brown in the books), but I'll cope.

The Little Things
As a big fan of the books, my eyes were peeled throughout the trailer for canonical references and luckily, it didn't disappoint. The orange back-pack, given to each contestant at the start of the games makes a welcome appearance and the mocking-jay pin at the end heavily reflects that of the books. Also, that whistle at the end has got to be Rue's; a young girl Katniss allies with in the arena. Goosebumps a-plenty to be had from that tune...

The Direction Style
I know, I know: it's only a minute long clip, but I think what we're seeing here is deeply representing what else we can expect in terms of direction and style. Just look at how the camera shakes and wobbles and the use of CGI (falling tree). Again, going to the point of "non-glamorising" the production, this holds true here too; shots that look rough and sketchy, mirroring that of Katniss's personality versus that of the perfect Capitol (in which I'm hoping shots there will be all straight up and professional, just to further this subtext). Looking too much in to it? Never!

Gale's Voice-Over
That's certainly Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss' hunting buddy talking over the teaser, most likely taken from a scene just after she is chosen to enter the games. I'm not going to lie, it does sound slightly wooden compared to the dramaticness the dialogue on page might have suggested, and kind of unnecessary. Hopefully the film won't be littered with cheesey voice-overs like this (I doubt it would), becasue I've become very wary of them ever since The Last Airbender. *Shudders*

That's all for today's off-schedule trailer, but keep coming back for more of that informative-movie goodness. Also, whenever a proper, full trailer drops for this (I predict late Oct/early Nov), I'm sure to break it down with tons of background knowledge and all that razzle-dazzle. But for now, tar-ah, and may the odds be ever in your favour.

Sunday, 4 September 2011

Because I'm a true believer in structure, I've decided to break Supdates up into relevant sections. Nothing major, just helps with the flow of transitioning into new topics and what not. So dive in!

Worst Summer Ever?
As school begins to leer its head once more, further devouring the fading light that was the Summer break, you can't help but reflect on what you've done these past 6 weeks. Maybe you went on holiday, somewhere grand and beautiful and relaxing, maybe you did an amazing thing or met amazing people, doing things you wanted and needed to do, or maybe you just spent 3 fortnights sitting on your arse doing naff all.

Unfortunately, I fall into this latter category. Yep, almost 42 days and nothing to show for it. In fact, I could probably teach a crash course in procrastinating and laziness after this. I wanted to blog a lot this Summer, but instead only pushed a mere 3 pieces in August, a laughable amount considered to the previous month. Distractions take over and before you know, I'm here. Oh and a tip: don't make big "To-Do" lists, it just makes you more depressed when you look back and see NOTHING crossed off. But I digress. Besides that wasn't the only reason that this has been a somewhat lacklustre Summer, because as usual the Great British weather decided to be a douche and treat us like a soggy slice of towel roll... It's not a perfect simile...

Writer's Block and A Little Inspiration

Thanks Felicia!

Like I've said, articles (and my writing in general) have become... constipated, to put it into context. They just don't want to shift out of my head and onto the page/screen. So after 5-ish weeks of that I read this: http://feliciaday.com/blog/how-i-started-writing - a great piece from The Guild (an awesome webshow) creator, Felicia Day. Turns out, she too used to just sit on her bum and think about writing things, rather than getting up and doing them. She even used to be a World Of Warcraft addict, spending hours of her time a day on the game (which actually gave her inspiration for The Guild). Anyway, the short article gives her tips on how she embraced her creativity and took hold of her writing prospects, through various books, websites and exercises. Definitely check it out if your having trouble with any creative projects, because it really inspired me and gave a lot of hope to a shrivelled dream. Also try ZenHabits.net, another great blog full of helpful hints on how to prioritize, organize and get through life that little bit better. It really is shame I didn't discover all this cool stuff at the start of the holidays.

The Awesomeness of The GuildSo while we're still on the topic of Felicia here, I'd like to talk to y'all about her aforementioned web series, The Guild: focusing around a group of MMO players as they try to juggle their totally unimportant real lives around their much loved (and addictive) RPG. Funny as hell, and littered with awesome references to video game culture, The Guild's an incredibly satisfying series, chock-full of laugh out loud moments and a rich, varied cast of hilarious characters.

You can catch up with it from the very beginning now, for free, over at watchtheguild.com, or on their YouTube channel! Also, if you happen to have Xbox Live you can find seasons 3-5 all in great quality on the Zune marketplace for free too, and episodes appear there first exclusively, every Tuesday (the latest was insane, due a very awesome special guest cameo). So long live The Guild: The show about gamers, for gamers, by gamers! Here's the crazy-hilarious Bollywood style music video from the "Guildies" themselves:

Thursday, 1 September 2011

Last Saturday I went once more to the O2 Arena in London, this time to experience the all new stage tour, Batman Live. As you can guess, the show's a Batman extravaganza, featuring an array of his iconic villains, sidekicks and gadgets in a 2 hour spectacle of stunts, acrobats and incredible special effects.

Hot on the heels of the Superhero-Broadway flop, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, Batman Live presents a completely new stage experience of the Caped Crusader, and with not a musical song or horrible accident in site. Focusing around how Batman and Robin came to be, the show's story was surprisingly better than I thought it would have been, with some witty dialogue thrown in too. The real appeal however, lies in the incredible set pieces laid out; everything from the "Flying Graysons" elegant circus trapeze routine and a fantastic wire-worked battle between Bats and Catwoman, to the Joker and Harley Quinn's mind boggling illusionary and a real Batmobile tearing up the stage. Not to mention the epic finale, featuring a battle between Batman, Robin and Catwoman against almost all of the Dark Knight's rogue gallery!

Naturally, I brought my camera along and took some snaps as well as a couple videos to share: